Ron and his Mother
by AlwaystheCatLady
Summary: A conversation I always wanted Ron to have.


Round 12

Team: Chudley Cannons

Position: Chaser #3

Mandatory Prompt: Write about Ron's relationship with one of his parents

Optional Prompts Used: (word) ferocious, (word) potential, (object) book

Autumn was a flighty bird in the time year that the war ended. It had been a hard three months full of funerals, medal ceremonies, criminal trials, and rebuilding their community again. There was still much that needed to be done. But on this particular afternoon, Ron was simply digging through the cupboards looking for snack.

It was something so small that he had missed in the past year that he had been virtually homeless with Hermione and Harry. His mother had always kept the cupboards well stocked with homemade goodies no matter how hard on money they had been at the time. He found what he wanted, simple lavender scones, just as the kettle signaled that his tea was ready.

It was a rare day that he was home alone. His dad had gone into the ministry early that morning just as he had been doing since after Fred's funeral. His mother and Ginny had gone to Diagon Alley to her Ginny's school supplies. It was decided everyone was staying in the year that they were last year since there wasn't much learning done. Ron had technically dropped out officially, but McGonagall had sent Ron, Hermione, and Harry letters stated that anyone that has to drop out, including runaway half-bloods, blood traitors, and muggleborns, was welcomed back without any marks on their records.

Hermione was ecstatic, of course, and had signed up immediately. Afterwards she had sent both Harry and Ron twin letters stating how they should follow her example. If she could juggle school and contacting the magical Australian government and trying to arrange help finding her parents (not usually done but exceptions are made for war heroes) then they should also have no problem returning.

Ron wasn't convinced. The thought of going back to the place of the Final Battle, the place so many died at, including his own brother, felt like too much to handle. He knew Harry wasn't going physically, though he had arranged to do a sort of off campus, at home study with McGonagall. It appeared that with Voldemort and his Death Eaters finally gone, all the trauma Harry had lived through all of his life had finally caught up with him. He was currently living with Andromeda, mourning and trying to figure out to raise little Teddy Lupin together. Something Harry was adamant about when they had an intervention to get him to go to a mind healer who he now saw twice a week.

Except, Ron wasn't sure he even saw the good in doing what Harry was doing. All three of them had been sent invitations to get into the Auror training program, Hogwarts graduates and application process not required. He couldn't see a problem with simply accepting and being an Auror. It was a respectable job like what his mum always wanted for him, and it paid triple the amount that his dad earned. He wouldn't have to worry about money and he would make sure that his parents and Ginny and even George (who hadn't gone back to work yet) wouldn't have to either.

But he was the only one who apparently saw a good thing when it was right in front of him. When he had admitted about thinking of taking the offer up, his mum had let loose her famous ferocious temper that hadn't been seen since Fred had died. It was probably one of the longest arguments he had ever had with his mum. That was usually left to the twins, and before them, Charlie. Even now, they had a stony wall built between the two of them, neither of them giving in.

As he was cleaning up his plate and cup, the fire in the living room lit up and then his mum's voice muttering cleaning spells.

"Need any help?" Ron asked as he walked into the living room. "Where's Ginny?"

"Oh, she met up with some friends," his mum said, handing a package from Flourish and Blotts. Ron looked around and saw other packages already on the couch.

"That one is for you," she said when he looked back at her in askance.

"For me?" Ron questioned as he tore open the wrappings. Inside he saw the stack of books the seventh years needed for the upcoming school year. He looked up at his mum, outrage burning up his neck and ears, eager to release itself out of his throat.

"Now you shut your mouth and listen to me, Ronald Bilius Weasley," Molly Weasley said, sternly.

Ron's mouth clapped shut without his permission. Years of listening to his mum still programmed into him even when he didn't want to listen to another lecture.

"I've raised seven children. Not always made the right choices. We've made mistakes, your father and I."

"Mum-"

"But for the most part I say we did pretty good job of ourselves." She hesitated, blinking back tears. "Two mistakes I can think we've made with two of our children: Percy and you."

"What? Mum-"

"We neglected you in different ways."

"I wasn't neg-"

"Percy," she swallowed. "He came around. And I'm making sure you will too."

"I'm nothing like Percy!" Ron snapped only to immediately recoil at his mum's ferocious look.

"We made you believe you weren't enough. Percy went into overachiever mode. You went the opposite."

Ron felt like he was going to explode with the storm of emotions swirling within him.

"I never saw it before but I've been thinking of this ever since that letter came. I want you to know that we believe in you. _I_ believe in you. I've been watching you all these years even if you felt like I paid more attention to you brothers and sister. I know you are going to go far, possibly farther than all of your siblings with all that you've accomplished already."

Tears were covering both of their faces now. Ron's mum walked closer and grabbed him by his shoulders. "I don't say finish your schooling to stunt you or make sure you don't grow up. I say finish school because if you don't you will be holding yourself back again. You could do so much, and I don't want to see you settle. If being a Auror is still want you want, it will still be there in a year, do you understand?"

Ron dropped his books and pulled his mum into a bear hug that usually she was the one known for. This was a conversation he wished she had told him years and years ago, one he had wondered about for much of his childhood. It was exactly what he wanted and needed, and now he knew without a doubt he was going to go to Hogwarts and study his arse off like he had never done in all his years of studying before.


End file.
